


Winter and Spring

by ecstasyrcses



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ancient Greek Religion & Lore Fusion, Dirty Jokes, Implied Sexual Content, Inspired by Hades and Persephone (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Johnny and YangYang have cameos, M/M, Mentioned Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten, Mentioned Huang Ren Jun, Mentioned Kim Jungwoo (NCT), Mentioned Lee Donghyuck | Haechan, Mentioned Lee Taeyong, Mentioned Wong Kun Hang | Hendery, Mentioned Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas, Minor Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Suh Youngho | Johnny, Minor Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Wong Kun Hang | Hendery, Minor Lee Taeyong/Suh Youngho | Johnny, Non-Linear Narrative
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:42:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25083322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ecstasyrcses/pseuds/ecstasyrcses
Summary: When summer bleeds into fall and the cold returns, so does Jaemin to his love.  Far away from the harsh whispers of outsiders and his own nymphs.  As winter melts to spring, Jaemin returns to the surface and the rumors.  Yet no matter what he hears, it doesn’t change the fact that he loves Jeno.  Unlike the seasons, their love never changes.In short, a Hades & Persephone AU with Jeno as Hades and Jaemin as Persephone.
Relationships: Lee Jeno & Liu Yang Yang, Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin, Na Jaemin & Suh Youngho | Johnny
Comments: 11
Kudos: 62





	Winter and Spring

**Author's Note:**

  * For [taeyoooooong](https://archiveofourown.org/users/taeyoooooong/gifts).



> For Ms. Mian, I would be surprised if you didn't see this coming, but yes I created an account on AO3 to comment on your works. <3
> 
> Hi my writing still has a long way to go, but I liked this so here it is! My first work on AO3 please don't be too mean haha :)

Life is fleeting, death eternal.

Splotches of mauve and violet stain the monotone marble slabs adorning the walls. Gold accents reflect dim light that bursts when hitting the diamond fixtures sprinkled tastefully. The room is cold and hollow, but when has the land of the dead ever been lively? 

The sheets are stiff and starched, but still soft enough to be distinguished as a finer satin with threads of the most delicate silk. Unlike its surroundings, the bed is warm and tempting. The mattress and pillows soften even more as heat mingles between the creases and the folds of the comforter. 

Elegant and striking, powerful and commanding, mysterious and beckoning, the interior of the House of Death never ceases to amaze and intrigue.

Contrary to popular belief, Death isn’t unforgiving and stoic shoves and pushes, no second chances, harsh deadlines and overwhelming fees. Death is much softer and kind, patient and calm, calculating and cunning, always knowing what to say, what to do and when.

Death is peaceful and doesn’t come to drag you under in the middle of your peak, Death waits until you’re ready and carefully beckons you to where you belong. 

Jaemin thinks his lover is quite fair and just, and there’s nothing in the world above or below, dead or alive that could convince him otherwise. Jeno is soft crinkled eye-smiles and warm open hugs on slow days, peaceful strolls through the pomegranate orchard, and long talks through dark nights. 

Although the start of their relationship hadn’t been the smoothest, Jaemin wouldn’t go back and change it for the world. He already has the world. His world. Jeno. 

Once he had moved in with the god of death, rumors sprouted like weeds in the garden of their love. “He was kidnapped,” they said, “you-know-who forced him to stay.”

Jaemin couldn’t say he was surprised at what he would hear during family gatherings. To outsiders, the couple fit together like wildfires and snow. Jeno was often perceived as dark, brooding, and moody. He was Death, there was no way he brought anything but pain and sorrow to others. Jaemin, on the other hand, was bright and bubbly, flowers blooming and fields flourishing under his blinding smile. How could Life ever love Death?

The second they left Olympus, Jeno could tell that there was something on his lover’s mind. Jaemin’s shoulders were tense, head slumped and facing the ground. 

Was it something someone had said to him? Nymphs were rather chatty, even more so when Hendery was present. The god of wine seemed to have that effect on others. Or maybe it was his tendency to spike to punch.

Jeno pushed his thoughts aside and settled for holding Jaemin’s hands for the rest of the chariot ride home.

Once Jaemin was met with the marble walls of the House of Death, he rushed to his shared room with Jeno, leaving the older god dumbstruck in his place below the entrance foyer’s crystal lights.

“Maybe I should give him some space until he’s ready to talk to me,” Jeno mused. “I should fix him a peace offering of peaches and pomegranates too just in case he’s moody. Yes, that sounds like a good idea.”

With that, the god of death left to his orchard to fetch his lover fresh fruits.

After he had finally chosen, sliced, and plated the sweetest and ripest peach and pomegranate, Jeno decided it was a good time to check up on his Jaemin.

Door left slightly ajar, Jeno pushed it open silently to a sniffling lump under pristine sheets. Soft tufts of pink hair poked out from where the comforter was pulled over Jaemin’s head, which could only mean two things. Either Jaemin already washed up, or he had run his fingers through his hair so much that the product in his hair was useless.

“Darling? Are you alright?” Jeno approached the lump carefully so as to not upset the younger god. “I heard sniffling. But um, I have fruit.”

“Fruit?” Soft, strained, and hesitant.

“Yes, your favorites. A sliced peach and half a pomegranate.”

“Half? What happened to the rest?” Curious. Another sniffle.

“I’m afraid the other half has found a liking to my stomach.”

A broken laugh. Progress. 

“What for?” Jaemin sniffled.

“I thought you could use some cheering up,” Jeno responded, soft and cautious, treading dangerous waters. “Do you want to get out from under your covers, eat your fruit, and tell me what’s wrong?”

A pause. 

“Okay,” Jaemin whispered.

If Jeno hadn’t been giving Jaemin his full attention, he might’ve missed the small agreement.

“Okay,” Jaemin repeated, louder this time as he pulled the duvet down from over his head and sat up. 

Jeno gave his lover a soft eye-smile and sat next to him on their shared bed, plate of fruit in one hand. Setting the platter down, Jeno moved to feed Jaemin a slice of peach with one hand.

“Are you ready to tell me what has you so upset?” He asked softly, brushing through Jaemin’s pink hair with his free hand.

Jaemin took a bite of the peach Jeno held out for him, nodding slowly. A hum of affirmation. 

“I just…” The younger pouted as he tried to find the right words to convey his thoughts. “I’m tired of people thinking they get a say in our relationship. They think they know it all just because of what they see and perceive on the surface, but it’s not everything that happens between us. Everyone always says the worst about us and how we started, but we’ve moved past that by now!”

Another bite. Chewing… swallowed.

“You’ve been nothing but kind and patient after our first meeting, but people still think you’re nothing but this dark, scary, and horrible god who treats me horribly. But they’re wrong! They’re so, so wrong.” A sniffle. “You treat me like I’m worth more than all the riches in your realm combined, and I love you. I wish people could see that what we have really is real.”

At this point, Jaemin’s voice had begun to quiet down and his eyes began to shine with tears again. 

“I understand how you feel, love,” Jeno whispered, wiping away the tears that had begun to fall down the younger’s face. “I love you. So much. It sucks that no matter what, we’ll never get to rest from the gossip or the rumors as long as we exist, I’ll admit. But remember, they don’t know what we do. They can’t see what goes on behind closed doors. What matters is that I know you love me, and that you know I love you.”

Jaemin straightened his arms, opening and closing his fists to gesture to Jeno to come closer. The older god obliged, bringing his Jaemin into his arms in an embrace. Jaemin tucked his head under Jeno’s chin, the latter planting a soft kiss on his temple.

“Please don’t cry,” Jeno murmured into soft pink hair, “I don’t like seeing you upset. You’re always beautiful, but more so with a smile on your face, yeah? Don’t let the whispers take away your smile, love.”

“I love you,” Jaemin whispered. 

“I know. And I love you. So much more than they know, so much more than you know.”

“I know.”

“Let me show you how much I love you, hm?”

“But the fruits?” Jaemin protested, lips puffing into a pout. 

“The fruits can wait, they won’t rot in your presence.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Please.”

Dilated pupils and doe eyes peering through long eyelashes.

“Please what?”

Jeno smirked. Just as Jaemin had him wrapped around his pretty fingers, Jeno could make the younger god turn into putty in his hold.

A whine.

“Jen, don’t make me say it.”

“Why not? You didn’t seem to have a problem saying it every other time before.”

Kisses trailing down soft skin. A shiver.

“You’re-“ A gasp. “Such a tease…”

“You love it though.”

Dark eyes, reddening marks. 

“Are you going to ask, or do you want me to stop?”

Above all things, no matter what, Jeno always made sure his priority was Jaemin. Jaemin’s happiness, Jaemin’s comfort, Jaemin’s consent.

“No! No, don't stop.”

“Then what do you want, pet?”

“You. Please, want you.”

The thing was, those who whispered, who spread rumors, who were so bitter they longed for the sweet taste of another’s name in their mouths- they were outsiders. They would never see what went on behind closed doors, would never fully understand a relationship that wasn’t theirs. Even their close friends, the Dreamies as Jaemin called them (“Together we make a dream team, don’t you think?”), would never know about how Jeno always made Jaemin feel so full, so loved. 

If they were on the surface, Jaemin would have woken up to sunlight permeating sparkling windows and the sound of birds singing their morning songs. Instead, he woke to strong arms tightening around his bare waist and a warm chest flush against his back under soft cotton covers and dim crystal lights. 

(As winter met spring and Jaemin was ready to return to the surface, he had told Jeno about a new crop that he had discovered by chance on his last outing. 

“It’s called cotton, Jen. It’s soft and airy. Like clouds! I think it would make a nice cloth with the right techniques. Do you think Renjun would teach me how to weave if I asked him nicely?”

Jeno just fondly watched his lover ramble, humming responses when prompted.

“Are you even listening? Have you gotten tired of me already?” Jaemin huffed, shooting Jeno a glare. 

The older god simply flashed his lover a smile, eyes upturned into crescents. 

“Of course I’m listening,” Jeno answered, “I’d never get tired of you. Ever. If you want Renjun to do anything for you, just sweet talk him like you always do. We both know that no matter how wise he is, he’ll always surrender to his pride.”

“Whatever.”

“Aww, are you sulky now? Is my baby upset?” Jeno cooed, pinching Jaemin’s cheeks. “You’re so cute.”

“Shut up!” In a feeble attempt to save his dignity, Jaemin slapped Jeno’s chest and pushed him away. “You’re so annoying, why did I marry you?”

“I love you too,” Jeno replied, pausing to pepper Jaemin’s face in kisses, “Now, tell me more about that cotton?”)

“Did I wake you?”

Jeno’s morning voice was music to Jaemin’s ears, deep and raspy with the slightest drawl.

“How long have you been awake?” Completely ignoring Jeno’s question, Jaemin turned around in the older god’s hold, eyes still blinking away the last remnants of sleep. 

“Not too long.” Jeno shrugged and rearranged his limbs until his hands fell comfortably on Jaemin’s hips. “Did you sleep well, pet? You did so well for me last night, hm?”

After placing a quick kiss on the latter’s temple, Jeno watched in amusement as Jaemin’s cheeks flushed a light pink at the praise. 

Who would’ve thought that such an outgoing, flirty god like Jaemin who attracted everyone around him would be easily flustered by such a “dark and cold” god like Jeno? In the eyes of others, polar opposites- the one who brang life and fertility while the other brought death and sorrow. The god of death, with his kind eye-smiles, his soft whispers of assurances and praises towards his friends when they were in doubt, and his murmurs of blessing to lost souls who had wandered the banks of the rivers of the Underworld without a proper burial to help them along, in the eyes of those who knew nothing more than petty rumors and gossip could never be somebody Jaemin truly loved. Oh, how wrong they were.

“M’ sore,” Jaemin mumbled, hiding his face in his lover’s chest, “Hurts.”

Jeno’s hands flew to Jaemin’s shoulders in alarm, rubbing his arms in apology.

“Was I too much yesterday? Did I hurt you, Nana?”

When Jaemin fussed over others and had nobody fussing over him, there was Jeno. Always nagging (lovingly), silently taking care of him, giving him gentle reminders.

“No, Jen, you were amazing. I liked it, I’m just sore.”

“Are you sure? Be honest with me, okay?”

“Jen, Jeno, honey, babe, hubby, light of my life, apple of my eye, Nono you were perfect,” Jaemin stated firmly, “I am sore because it’s been seasons since I’ve gone past 4 rounds, okay? Okay.”

“Can immortals get sore? I thought we weren’t supposed to be able to get hurt.”

“You’ve been alive longer than I have and you literally are the god of death. How do you not know that immortals can get hurt but don’t age or die? Didn’t you live through the Trojan War? Renjun and Lucas got into a fight then because Renjun got him stabbed out? Lucas literally bled all over the throne room during his hissy fit and the cracks he left are still gold? Do you seriously not remember any of this?”

Jeno watched as Jaemin’s bottom lip jutted out into a pout, too lost in his features to pay attention to his words.

“Why do I even bother at this point…” Jaemin sighed heavily, tearing himself out of Jeno’s arms and sitting up. “Speaking of Renjun and Lucas, we’re going out to meet them today, remember? C’mon honey, up you go. Go get yourself ready okay?”

“Uh huh,” Jeno nodded dumbly, still stuck in his trance.

Jaemin rolled his eyes as he got out of bed, bending down to give Jeno a quick kiss on the nose and breaking the latter out of his daze. Giggling at Jeno’s small flinch, Jaemin turned around to saunter away.

“Jeno, if I finish getting ready before you, I’m not letting you fuck me until next winter!”

“HUH?”

“You heard me!”

Of course, just like any other relationship, Jaemin and Jeno had their ups and downs as well. Given that their relationship hadn’t exactly started off on the right foot, it was no surprise that it took them time to learn how to make it work. 

As much as they loved each other, their love could not overshadow their flaws. But as they did all things, the lovers learned how to deal with their conflicts together. 

“Get away from me!” Doe eyes glassy, Jaemin glared at Jeno, his bottom lip trembling. “I hate you!”

“Nana… please,” Jeno pleaded, “I- you don’t mean that.”

Jaemin raised another vase over his head, flinging it directly at the older god who deftly sidestepped out of the way.

“Don’t call me that!” Jaemin screeched, “Hyunjin was right! You’re nothing but a cold, heartless killer. He was right in warning me, and now he’s dead!”

“Nana, please listen to me.” Jeno stepped forward to grab Jaemin’s hand, which resulted in the latter shoving him away with all of his strength.

“I told you not to call me that!”

“JAEMIN!”

Jeno’s shout reverberated around the room, shaking Jaemin to the core.

“You... you raised your voice at me.” Stumbling away from Jeno, Jaemin looked at the older god with something in his eyes he wished he would never have to see: fear. 

“No, Jaem, love, I didn’t mean to, I swear. Please just-”

“I can’t do this anymore. I’m leaving. I- I can’t.” 

“Min, don’t leave. Please. I love you,” Jeno whispered, crumbling to the floor, “I love you.”

As Jeno’s first tear hit the floor, the sound of his heart breaking fell on deaf ears. Just like his final pleas and confessions, there was nobody to hear and witness his pain. Because Jaemin had already left.

“Johnny, Johnny please be home,” Jaemin sobbed, running through poppies into the entrance of the cavern desperately. “I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

To his luck, the god of sleep was waiting for him with open arms.

“I know what happened,” Johnny murmured quietly into Jaemin’s hair as the younger’s cries slowed to hiccups, “I saw it in my dream earlier. I’ve been waiting for you. Do you want to talk about it, Nana?”

Sometimes Jaemin was grateful for Johnny’s scary ability to see into the future with his dreams. Though they weren’t always clear enough to decipher without the help of Donghyuck’s gift of prophecy, Johnny still always knew a scary amount of everyone else’s business. It definitely came in handy for gossip circles when parties at Mount Olympus got boring.

Jaemin shook his head, burrowing himself further into Johnny’s warm embrace.

“Don’t wanna think ‘bout Jen,” he whined.

“Okay,” Johnny agreed, “but on one condition. If we’re not talking about it now, we will later. I can’t let you keep this in for too long.”

“Later, later.” Jaemin nodded frantically, wiping away his tears. “Not now, please. ‘M tired, wanna sleep.”

“Sleep,” Johnny whispered, “I’m here. You’re safe here.”

When he came to, Jaemin found himself in a bed very much like his own. Soft cotton sheets, soft cotton blankets. Panicked, he sat up quickly to see Johnny entering the room with a small cup of what smelled like an herbal tea. Lavender, to be precise. A cup of lavender tea with the flower itself peeking over the rim.

“You probably already know, but it’s lavender,” he offered, “this should help with any headaches you have from all that crying before. Are you feeling better now, Jaemin?”

“Thank you,” Jaemin mumbled, accepting the cup with both hands carefully, “I think I’m ready to talk about it now.”

“Before we get into anything, I just wanted to let you know that Jeno came by earlier. He asked for you. Asked if you were okay, if I knew where you were. If you were here, actually.” Johnny paused, searching Jaemin’s face for any visible reactions. If he noticed how the lavender began to wilt, he didn’t say anything. “I let him know that you were safe, but I didn’t say anything else.”

Despite himself, Jaemin blurted out: “How was he?” 

Johnny smiled at that. He already knew how everything would play out if he made the right choices, but it was still refreshing to watch the future unfold in front of his eyes as the present.

“Honestly?” Johnny paused, eyes glancing at Jaemin’s eyes before settling on his cup of tea. “He’s seen better days. Even with what happened, we both know that he cares about you, Min. A lot. You got the god of death himself to cry. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him like that- you know, with the puffy red eyes and everything.” 

“Oh.”

Jaemin’s reply barely surpassed a whisper, yet both gods could feel its weight sinking into their skin and silencing the atmosphere. He took a sip of his tea, then another, and another until all that was left was the wilted flower.

“Do you want to talk about why you came here?” 

Jaemin hesitated, but nodded. Johnny was always patient and understanding, the one who kept a cool head to sort out conflicts when Taeyong wasn’t nearby or was busy tending to the hearth. If it was summer or spring, Jaemin would’ve seeken out the eldest of the Olympians, but it was still winter. The earth was still cold as Jungwoo awaited Jaemin’s return.

“Jeno killed Hyunjin.” Jaemin was blunt, his voice teetering on harsh, almost cold to the touch. “Jeno is a bastard who killed one of my best friends! Johnny, you can't tell me that it’s a coincidence the day after Hyunjin tries to kiss me, I hear from Felix that he disappeared the night before.” 

Jaemin’s fists clenched and unclenched, knuckles fading in and out of color.

“And the next thing you know, I see him! I see him with my very own eyes, right next to YangYang, being denied passage over the Styx. The moment YangYang saw me, I kid you not, he spit out more curses than Ten has probably heard in bed! And we both know how much Ten gets around- you know this.”

Johnny flushed red and looked away, muttering a small, “Min, you can’t just say things like that.”

“Johnny, everybody knows about that time the two of you-”

Johnny rushed forward and clamped a hand over Jaemin’s mouth.

“Not the time, Min. Don’t try to change the subject like that, you’re supposed to be telling me things about what happened between you and Jeno that I already know.”

Jaemin clenched his fists in his hair in frustration, ignoring his temptation to smash the empty cup of tea in his lap.

“If you already know what Jeno did, then why are we even talking about it?” He cried, “I should’ve listened to what everyone said about him.”

Johnny sighed, praying to Taeyong that his words would be the right ones. Because Taeyong had a certain charm that always brought people together peacefully, he always prayed to Taeyong when he needed a little bit of strength and courage even as a god himself, but nobody needed to know that. Especially not Ten. The god of love tended to be a bit possessive of his favorite flames and flings. 

“Do you know why Jeno may have acted the way he did?”

Johnny never thought that he’d ever have to do couples therapy for others within his eternity of a lifetime, but there was always a first for everything. On the bright side, maybe he could take his own advice to work out a couple love triangles and squares between the gods, starting with his own. 

Jaemin stared at his fingers, suddenly finding his cuticles more interesting than Johnny’s question.

“I don’t know,” he mumbled, “I never really thought about that.”

“Well then, did you know that Hyunjin was planning to take advantage of you? Jeno happened to hear through the grapevine thanks to Hendery, and he acted as fast as he could. To protect you.” 

Johnny resisted the urge to avoid saying Hendery’s name and kept it in. The young god had never done anything to him, even if he was Ten’s latest endeavor. Johnny had no reason to be jealous over somebody who wasn’t even exclusively his. Jeno, however, had a completely valid reason. Maybe he could have thought it through more before just killing Hyunjin, though. 

“Oh.”

Jaemin stared at Johnny, looking for any sign of deception, but found none.

“OH,” he repeated, louder, “I… may have been a bit… harsh.”

“You definitely also hit him where it hurt,” Johnny added, “Jeno has gotten so used to people thinking he’s like you said, ‘a cold, heartless murder,’ that he’s numb to those comments. They still sting, sure, but they don’t hurt so much from people he doesn’t care about. You, however… he’s absolutely a goner for you. Anybody with eyes can see that. Your opinions matter a lot to him, you know?”

“He- he is? My opinion? To him? He- what,” Jaemin stuttered, “Jeno is a what?”

“I thought you already knew this, Min,” Johnny sighed, “you are Jeno’s priority. Your thoughts, your comfort, your everything. The dude’s in love with you.”

“He’s- he’s… oh.”

Jaemin frantically got off of the bed, almost shoving the tea cup to the floor in his haste. 

“Thank you, for the talk, Johnny,” he rushed out, “I really need to go talk with Jeno. I-”

Johnny simply smiled at the younger god.

“Don’t sweat it. I’ll be here to talk anytime. Take care, Jaemin!”

Jaemin nodded and was out the door.

“Maybe I should take some time to talk things out with my people too,” Johnny murmured to himself, picking up Jaemin’s abandoned tea cup.

Inside the cup, the lavender had bloomed.

Jeno turned to YangYang, offering half a pomegranate in his hand.

“I miss Jaemin,” he sighed, “sometimes I can still hear his voice.”

“Jeno!”

YangYang rolled his eyes at the elder, pushing the pomegranate away.

“If I eat that, I’ll have to spend more time with your insufferable, whiny, moping ass than I already have to,” he grumbled, “I’m only here to help souls get to the Underworld.”

“Jeno!”

“Can you just let me be sad for a moment? The love of my life is gone, and he hates me, and his voice keeps haunting me when I’m awake.” 

“Jeno!”

YangYang ignored him and stood up, brushing dust off of his pants.

“I can’t believe he willingly put up with you. I can’t imagine why he chose to say yes to your lame proposal.” YangYang mimed checking his nonexistent watch before glancing at Jeno. “Would you look at the time! It appears to be time for me to go back to Olympus and take a good, long nap.”

“JENO!”

“YangYang, don’t leave me,” Jeno whined, “I’m so lonely down here!”

“JENO YOU ABSOLUTE IDIOT!”

Both gods turned around to face a fuming Jaemin, hair blazing pink, stomping through the orchard toward them.

“I guess that really is my cue to leave,” YangYang whispered, teleporting himself away. 

“Oh, so it wasn’t a voice,” Jeno mumbled.

Finally face to face after who knew how many days (without a sun to tell time in the Underworld), Jeno realized how much he missed Jaemin. Puffy eyes, disheveled hair, red nosed Jaemin. No matter how he looked, he was still Jaemin. And Jeno was still enthralled as always.

“Jeno, I hate you.”

“I’m sorry, Jaemin, I should have-”

“Shut up!” Jaemin glared at Jeno with eyes that were nothing short of fond. “Let me finish. I hate you and how you’re so stupid because you do everything you can do so I’m always happy, but you never think about talking to me. I hate how you decide that it’s okay for you to suffer in silence because you don’t want to burden me.” A sniffle. “You’re so dumb and I hate you, but you love me. And for some reason I love you too.”

“You know?” 

“Of course I know, idiot. I have eyes and ears everywhere.”

“And you? You too?”

Jaemin nodded, the corners of his lips curving into a smile. 

“I do,” he whispered, wrapping his arms around Jeno’s neck, “I love you.”

Jeno smiled backed, eyes crinkling into crescents. He let his hands comfortably rest on Jaemin’s hips, pulling the latter closer.

“I’m so lucky to have you,” Jeno whispered back, “I love you.”

Jaemin tilted his head up and connected their lips.

(“We’re still talking about it later, honey,” Jaemin stated.

“Nana, can we not talk about him when I’m literally inside you?” Jeno groaned, pulling out. “That’s what you get.”

“No, Jen,” he whined, “Jen, Jen, Jeno, honey, babe, baby, please.”

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” Jeno grumbled.)

And as the seasons changed and Jaemin would prepare himself to return to the surface as winter melted into spring, he never stopped loving Jeno. When the flora flourished under mild rains and Donghyuck’s generous sun, he would call Jeno to the surface for outings and picnics. Once the greens began to wither and die and the earth began to get colder, Jaemin would return to his lover under the surface. 

No matter what others said, no matter who tried to get in between them, no matter what season it was, they would still be each other’s missing half. As life would simmer down into death, and death would give way to new life with the seasons, Jaemin and Jeno stayed constant. 

They were the perfect balance because after all, life is fleeting, death eternal.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this, come talk to me on twitter!  
> @ecstasyrcses


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